upgrade
Americannoun
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an incline going up in the direction of movement.
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an increase or improvement.
an upgrade in the year's profit forecast.
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a new version, improved model, etc..
The company is offering an upgrade of its sports sedan.
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an increase or improvement in one's service, accommodations, privileges, or the like.
If the ship isn't full we'll receive an upgrade to a deluxe stateroom.
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something, as a piece of equipment, that serves to improve or enhance.
a full range of upgrades available for your computer.
adjective
adverb
verb (used with object)
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to promote to a higher grade or rank.
He has been upgraded to senior vice president.
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to improve or enhance the quality or value of.
to upgrade property by landscaping it.
verb (used without object)
verb
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to assign or promote (a person or job) to a higher professional rank or position
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to raise in value, importance, esteem, etc
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to improve (a breed of livestock) by crossing with a better strain
noun
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an upward slope
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improving or progressing, as in importance, status, health, etc
adjective
adverb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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upgradesimple
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upgradessimple
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have upgradedperfect
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has upgradedperfect
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am upgradingprogressive
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are upgradingprogressive
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is upgradingprogressive
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have been upgradingperfect progressive
-
has been upgradingperfect progressive
Past
-
upgradedsimple
-
had upgradedperfect
-
was upgradingprogressive
-
were upgradingprogressive
-
had been upgradingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of upgrade
Explanation
To upgrade is to make improvements to something or exchange it for a better version. Some people upgrade their phone every time a new model comes out, while others prudently wait to see which new features they really need. Upgrade is also a noun: "I was lucky enough to get an upgrade to the first-class section of the plane!" Whether a noun or a verb, this word commonly used to refer to electronic equipment, particularly computers and smartphones. If a company upgrades the network in their offices, they purchase new computers or improve internet connection speeds. The original meaning of the noun upgrade was "sloping up," as in a steep hill.
Vocabulary lists containing upgrade
This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for August 14–August 20, 2021
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for December 1–December 7, 2024
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Vocabulary from Readings 2, Unit 3
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
It said it would use the money to upgrade production lines and technology.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
There is a Honda engine upgrade to come for the next race after the summer break - of undefined size.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
The upgrade includes tarted up air-inlet shrouds on the side and louvered panels in the front wings, notionally to help evacuate air pressure at high speed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
Higher rates can raise the cost of every dollar borrowed to build data centers, develop specialized chips or upgrade power grids.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
“You know, like when they come out with a computer upgrade, they call it 2.0?” she said.
From "City Spies" by James Ponti
And we come from two years of disappointments of upgrades.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
Still, it’s not likely that the utility is going to be able to get ahead of the upgrades that are needed, experts say.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
The approximately one-hour flight also tested upgrades to the mammoth ship's heat shield.
From Barron's ● Jul. 25, 2026
The utilities’ electricity promise includes commitments to pay for grid upgrades and infrastructure needed to support data centers, a crucial challenge facing ratepayers around the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
With all his security upgrades, Thread has paid little attention to the fence, perhaps feeling harsh weather and wild animals are enough to keep everyone safely inside.
From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins
Wolfe Research analyst Peter Supino suggested as much when he upgraded AT&T’s stock to overweight earlier this week.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 25, 2026
During the launch, the Starship spacecraft deployed upgraded Starlink satellites, a first for the vehicle.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
Aston Martin's engine partner Honda will also take an upgraded power-unit to the next race, the Dutch Grand Prix, after Formula 1's four-week summer break.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
The Rams upgraded their most obvious weakness by trading for All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie and signing cornerback Jaylen Watson.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
The hotel was upgraded, doubling the number of rooms to five hundred and creating grand new facades and a new main entrance.
From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson
From an FSG perspective, it has seen Liverpool win everything there is to win since buying the club in 2010 for £300m, while upgrading the training ground and developing the stadium.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
London once attracted young graduates with good career opportunities and the chance to scale the property ladder, starting with a tiny apartment and upgrading when a promotion or baby arrived.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
The collaboration alternates between observing runs that collect scientific data and periods dedicated to commissioning and upgrading the detectors.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 2, 2026
“I obviously have a room in his head,” Obama told the hosts, former NBA stars Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, upgrading it to “a suite in his head.”
From Salon ● Jun. 25, 2026
Somebody else takes care of the upgrading and maintenance.
From "The World Is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
